viously, shows a different picture [mostly 5-OH-DMT and 
DMT, with less MTHC and 5-MeO-DMT (Fig. 2)]. Analysis of 
these seeds was done in August 1975, five months after collec- 
tion. No quantitation of alkaloid contents was performed at 
that time. 
We repeated the analysis of the same material two years 
later. At this time, the Puerto Rican seeds were no longer able 
to germinate. In the analysis of this material, the seeds 
(‘‘March 1975’) contained only 5-OH-DMT, with no trace of 
any of the other alkaloids found earlier. This fact might imply 
that the relative content of the various alkaloids upon storage 
follows with time a certain pattern. 
The seeds of the Puerto Rican material kept for two years 
and the 123 year old Spruce material thus contain the same 
alkaloid: 5-OH-DMT. Transformation of alkaloids during stor- 
age of botanical material is known to occur (17). 
CONCLUSIONS 
In yet another ethnobotanical collection made by Spruce 
more than a 100 years ago, it has been possible to identify 
alkaloidal material by the use of modern analytical techniques 
never dreamed of by this intrepid plant explorer. Of several 
alkaloids found in freshly collected reference material, only 
one remained in the Spruce collection: bufotenine (5-OH- 
DMT). Storage of freshly collected material for two years 
resulted in the disappearance of all alkaloids except 5-OH- 
DMT. This may raise speculation as to whether or not they 
were originally contained in the Spruce material. Our observa- 
tion stresses the importance of storage-time in addition to 
knowledge of plant part, soil, season and climatic conditions, 
when alkaloid analysis is carried out on seeds and on the snuffs 
prepared from them. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
Part of this work was supported by the Swedish Medical 
Research Council; the National Institutes of Health; the Bank of 
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